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Western Cookies on Tray with Blue Towel
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Cowboy Cookies (with brown butter)

Made with brown sugar, shredded coconut and pecans, these Cowboy Cookies are a delicious adaption of the cookie recipe made famous by former First Lady Laura Bush. Everyone will love these hearty, chewy cookies!
Course: Cookies
Cuisine: American
Keyword: brown butter cowboy cookies, cowboy cookies recipe, Laura Bush, Reese Whitherspoon, western cookies, with chocolate chips, with coconut, without oatmeal
Servings: 5 dozen cookies
Calories: 320kcal
Author: Michaela Kenkel

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon baking soda
  • 1 Tablespoon cinnamon *see notes
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups butter softened
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal
  • 2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
  • 1 1/2 cups pecans chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Brown the butter: Place butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam and then it will reduce to small bubbles. It will become amber in color and fragrant. Stir occasionally so as not to burn the butter. Set aside. to cool for about 5 minutes.
  • Prepare the cookie dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, vanilla, and browned butter until it resembles wet sand. Add each egg in one at a time, mixing after each addition.
  • Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into the wet mixture and stir in slowly until it's incorporated.
  • Stir in chocolate chips and pecans first, with a spoon. Next, add in the coconut and finish with the Rice Krispies.
  • Drop by rounded spoonful onto a prepared cookie sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes. Edges will be golden brown and the centers will still be slightly soft. Let cookies rest for a couple of minutes before transferring the to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
  • Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks. These cookies freeze really well!

Notes

* I love using my Homemade Apple Pie Spice in this recipe in place of the cinnamon.
Reese Witherspoon's original recipe calls for 2 cups of rolled oats. I have made them both ways, and making them without them is our personal preference.
These are soft and chewy cookies. If you prefer to have crunchy cookies, bake them for a couple of minutes longer.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 2g | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 355mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 26g